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"A Venezuelan Immigrant
By Hanoi Reyes
I’m a Venezuelan American who is terrified by the end of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans in the US.
My family and I migrated to the United States in 2008 when an American company transferred my husband from Venezuela to work in Louisiana. Both of us were working for transnational companies then, but watching Chávez's government become increasingly more autocratic forced us to seek opportunities outside of the country. So, we left with our two kids and moved to Mandeville, Louisiana.
My husband is a biologist working in aquaculture. I am a material engineer by profession, but I have been teaching Spanish for the last eight years. A lot of friends from college were already here in different states, working in their areas of expertise.
From our home in Louisiana, then Nebraska, then back in Louisiana, we've watched as an alarming amount of Venezuelans are forced to make the same decision that we did, and leave their home for better opportunities elsewhere. In the last ten years, 7.9 million Venezuelans have migrated, making it the largest migration in the region's history. A majority of Venezuelans, around 85%, are not even in the USA, but in other Latin American countries (r4v.info).
In the past decade, the United States has creeped up as a significant destination for Venezuelans, as approximately 770,000 Venezuelan immigrants have started a new life in the US as of 2023, but still only accounting for less than 2% of all immigrants in the country.
These numbers are not clear, so let's break it down step by step to get a clearer picture:
- 2021 Census Data: 545,000 Venezuelans in the USA.
- Encounters at U.S.-Mexico Border: 764,000 total encounters between 2021 and 2024.
- Parole Program: 117,000 Venezuelans obtained parole between January 2023 and December 2024.
To get the total number of Venezuelans in the USA, we would add these figures together:
- 545,000 (2021 Census) + 764,000 (Border Encounters) = 1,309,000
- 1,309,000 (Total from Census and Border) + 117,000 (Parole Program) = 1,426,000
Add it all up together and the approximate number of Venezuelans in the USA could be around 1,426,000. Keep in mind that some individuals might be counted more than once, and there may be other complexities not accounted for.
As of January 2025, the Biden administration’s designation of Venezuela for TPS in 2021 and 2023 has provided work authorization and protection from deportation to approximately 607,000 Venezuelans. However, the Trump administration has cited national security and inaccurate signs of positive change in Venezuela to terminate the 2023 TPS designation for Venezuelans, effective April 7, 2025. This means that about 300,000 Venezuelans who were relying on TPS to live and work legally in the United States will face potential deportation and certain threat of repression at the hands of the Maduro regime.
It’s crucial to avoid harmful generalizations and stereotypes about any group of people. Stereotyping can lead to misconceptions and unfair treatment. Venezuelans are not "Tren de Aragua," Colombians are not all involved in narco-trafficking, Mexicans are not all part of the cartels, and Salvadorians are not all "maras." Everyone deserves to be seen and treated as an individual, full of their own unique experiences, talents, and aspirations. It's important to recognize the contributions and positive impact that people from diverse backgrounds bring to our communities.
Throughout the 20th Century, Venezuela was a country that welcomed an abundance of migration. While I was in school, my best friends were from Chile, Colombia, Italy, and Portugal. Here in the US, I've had the pleasure of meeting people from various countries and forming friendships with individuals from all over the world. Migrants around the globe are a positive asset in the countries that welcome them. Regardless of their status, immigrants in the USA are here to work and contribute positively to this country. We want to see the United States thrive and become a better place every day just like everyone else.
- Younger Population: Venezuelan immigrants tend to be younger than the overall foreign-born population but older than the U.S.-born population. Their median age in 2021 was about 41 years old, compared to 47 for all immigrants and 37 for the native-born.
- Working Age: Venezuelan immigrants are more likely than the native- and overall foreign-born populations to be of working age (18 to 64 years old).
- Educational Attainment: In 2021, approximately 57% of Venezuelan immigrants aged 25 and older reported having a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 35% of U.S.-born and 34% of immigrant adults. This percentage is even higher among those who arrived between 2017 and 2021 (62%).
- Labor Force Participation: About 74% of Venezuelan immigrants aged 16 and older were in the civilian labor force in 2021, compared to 66% of the foreign-born population and 62% of the U.S.-born population.
- Household Income: Households headed by a Venezuelan immigrant had a median annual income of $64,000 in 2021, which is close to the median income for all immigrant- and native-led households ($70,000).
- Poverty Rate: In 2021, Venezuelan immigrants were as likely to be in poverty as immigrants overall (14%) and only slightly more likely than the U.S.-born population (13%).
- Recent Arrivals: Compared to all immigrants, Venezuelans are more likely to have arrived in the United States in the last decade, with 62% arriving since 2010, compared to 28% for the overall immigrant population.
- Green Card Holders: In FY 2021, Venezuela ranked 11th among the top countries for new green-card holders, with approximately 14,400 individuals receiving a green card.
- Private Health Insurance: Venezuelans are more likely to be covered by private health insurance compared to the overall immigrant and U.S.-born populations.
- Uninsured Rate: The share of uninsured Venezuelans (17%) is slightly lower than that of all immigrants.
Venezuelan Immigrants in the United States Feb 6, 2025. Migration Policy Institute
Thank you Hanoi for providing us with the data needed to make some "Good Trouble!"
Susan
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